A two-dimensional lamellar crystal composed of atomically thin layers of lead iodide (PbI2) could be used to manufacture a new generation of circuits that use light and mechanical vibrations (rather than electrons) to transmit information in the terahertz frequency range.
Researchers at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), in partnership with colleagues from the University of Lille (France) and other international institutions, have studied this technology and published their findings in Nature Communications.
The terahertz band corresponds to a low-energy region of the electromagnetic spectrum situated between infrared and microwaves. Despite this, it is considered crucial for developing high-speed communication technologies.
"Today, Wi-Fi and 5G operate at frequencies of a few gigahertz (GHz, 109 hertz). But there is interest in moving toward hundreds of gigahertz, or even terahertz (1012 hertz), because the higher the frequency, the greater the bandwidth and data transmission capacity," says Raul de Oliveira Freitas, head of the Imbuia beamline at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS-CNPEM) and coordinator of the study.
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